Wander
by Amarylle
Summary: Isabella Swan gets a healthy dose of reality from someone who is willing to be as harsh as he has to be for her to see reason. She'll be set on the path of trying to discover who she really is, and what she wants out of life. Is she really willing to throw it all away to become a vampire? AU. Pairings undecided.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** Everything belongs to the respective parties, I'm just playing in a sandbox like a two year old. ;)

* * *

Paul Lahote looked at Bella Swan with anger and disappointment blazing in his eyes. He was disgusted by how lifeless the girl looked, but what enraged him the most was the effect she had on those who had loved her, namely her father, Charlie, and the Blacks. He couldn't believe how selfish she was to value her stupid feelings more than her actual family.

At least she had one...

If Paul had to endure another moment in the company of three depressed men he actually cared about, he would probably go insane.

Enough was enough!

He narrowed his eyes at Bella, who was sitting on a rock staring at nothing in particular, probably thinking about her _precious_ Cold Ones. He walked closer to her, and kicked the rock she was sitting on to gain her attention.

"Go away," Bella mumbled, not even caring who came to keep her company. She thought it was probably Jacob, and she really didn't want to listen to him trying to charm her while she was down. It also could have been her father, who thought that temporarily moving them to La Push would be a good way to distract her from her heartache. He simply had no idea how wrong he was, and she really didn't want to listen to how good she would have it here. She was feeling anything but…

"No," Paul sneered. "You can't tell me what to do, _princess_," he snorted derisively, putting a cynical emphasis on the word. It sounded like anything but a compliment and Bella looked up at the boy, frowning at him.

"What do you want, Paul?" she asked in a monotone voice. She knew this particular shapeshifter hated her guts, so she really had no idea why he would bother with her.

"I want you to stop acting like such a selfish spoilt bitch, _leech-lover_," he hissed. "I want you to stop acting like the world revolves around you. News flash, darling, it does _not_. I want you to stop making your father miserable. I want you to stop making the Chief and Jacob worry about your well-being!"

Bella pressed her lips together in a thin line, her hands fisting at her sweater.. "I don't see how this concerns you, but I don't expect you or anyone else to understand what I'm going through…"

Paul actually chuckled. "Yes, because you are the only one whose heart was ever broken. You are the only one who was ever left behind. Poor pitiful Isabella Swan…," he mocked.

Bella shook her head and stood up. "You can judge and shame me all you want, Paul. It doesn't change the fact that Edward became my life and then when he grew tired of toying with me, he and his family left me behind. I was supposed to become one of them, I was supposed to get my happily ever after…"

Paul was furious. He couldn't stop himself from invading her personal space and slapping her. "Snap out of it, Swan!" he bellowed. "Do you even hear yourself? Do you think it's normal to desire to die and transform into a bloodthirsty monster? Do you have any common sense? Because to me it sounds like you are suicidal. Do you think that Charlie deserves all the grief your death would bring him? Stop drowning yourself in your pathetic self-pity for a second and wake up!"

Bella reeled back from him, her eyes wide with shock, her right hand flying up to cover her stinging cheek. Her breath had caught in her throat as a weave of pain jolted her. She knew her skin would bruise, but it wasn't the slap that hurt her the most, no, it was the realization of how little consideration she had given to her father. She knew she was hurting Charlie and felt terrible about it. She looked away, she couldn't bear to look at Paul, or anyone really.

"What do you think you are doing Lahote?" an angry voice roared as Jacob Black quickly sprinted to stand between the two, ready to fight Paul and defend Bella.

Paul was about to reply when Bella stepped between the two boys and gently pushed Jacob away. "Please don't get involved in this, Jacob," she softly said, her voice slightly strained. She felt so very ashamed of herself. "Paul just… told me a few things that I really didn't want to hear," she chuckled humorlessly.

Jacob stared at Bella with worry reflecting in his eyes. "I saw him slap you, Bells..."

Bella involuntarily winced. "Yes…" she whispered, her cheek still stinging from the force of the slap. "But as incredulous as it may sound...I probably needed that," she quietly said mostly to herself, but they had both heard her. "I… I'm going to go back home now, Jake. I don't want to stay here anymore," she softly said, and without a backward glance, walked into the little hut that Charlie and her had been staying at, and started packing her bag.

Jacob stood rooted to the ground, staring at the empty spot Bella had vacated. Then, as his anger engulfed him, he spun around his heel to glare at Paul. "You had no right to physically harm her! How dare you?"

Paul flinched at the tone of his future Alpha, and deep-down inside he knew that he only snapped at the girl because he couldn't control his anger. But there was no way that he would show any sign of weakness or remorse about it. "The leech-lover deserved what she got," he scoffed. "I told her exactly what I thought about the situation, and you heard her, she had agreed with me. She needed a dose of reality, and I gave it to her. So what if I also gave her a little slap? It's not like I harmed her in any real way…" he shrugged, ignoring the flickering guilt he felt about that particular thing. He thought that he had done good, he saw that he had an effect on Bella, only time will tell how effective. "You and the old men were walking on eggshells around her, and I had about enough of the disgusting self-pity and the woe is me attitude she was shoving down our throats.." Many emotions flickered through Jacob's eyes and Paul's tone softened. "Look, I know how important she is to you, Jacob, but even you have to realize that something needed to happen to shake her out of that lifeless state…" he sighed. "Now she has some things to think about."

"You are right," Jacob said after some silent thinking, but then there was a dangerous gleam in his eyes as he punched Paul in the face. "That's for hurting her. Do not ever do it again, Lahote, because we might be pack, but you will not like what I'll do to you if you do, not to mention Charlie and his infamous gun," he let the threat hang in the air between them, before he phased into his wolf form and disappeared into the forest. He also had a few things to think about, and some excess anger to let out.

Paul watched Jacob go and figured that he had the right idea about phasing, so he shook his human form and trekked through the other side of the forest seeking some solace from his thoughts.

* * *

**A/N:** Okay. Confession time. I actually don't really like Twilight much, I haven't read the books, all my knowledge comes from a movie or two and all the fanfiction I've read (which were of course AU, because those can be glorious.) I also haven't been watching The Vampire Diaries much except for a season or two, but again, I have all the fanfiction knowledge. And well…, when I read for days, I get inspired. Please forgive me if some of my information is wrong about these fandoms and try to enjoy my little story, nevertheless. I have plans. :)

I think Bella needed a dose of reality from someone she is not close to. What do you think? Did I do it justice?

Thank you for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

Bella quickly gathered the few things she brought with her to La Push, and threw everything into her duffel bag, not even caring if her clothes would crease. She wasn't particularly thoughtful about such things, especially this moment. The brunette girl had felt like her whole world was crashing down on top of her, even more than before. Her heart was aching, her mind felt overwhelmed with swirling chaotic thoughts, but that was nothing new. What shocked her senses and soul was the tremendous amount of guilt she was feeling.

Paul Lahote and his harsh words had stunned her.

If Bella was honest with herself, she expected those around her to treat her with kid gloves and be considerate about her heartbreak. In the back of her mind she thought she deserved that. It was quite appalling to acknowledge that she didn't give the same courtesy, or even a wayward thought to her father, who actually loved her.

Bella trembled slightly, her eyes filling with tears, and for once in her life she wasn't crying about Edward or about being left behind, she was crying about how careless, reckless and self-centered she was behaving. It was not easy to see herself in such negative light. Her outlook about herself shattered completely. She was so deep in her self-deprecating musings that she didn't hear the door open.

Charlie Swan sighed heavily as he stepped inside the tiny hut he was currently living in with her daughter, only to freeze at the sight before him. There was Bella sitting in the middle of the floor, her bag haphazardly stuffed with clothes and books, which she was trying to zip up with shaking hands as she cried.

"Bells?" he asked gently, his heart wrenching at the display of her distress.

Bella's eyes snapped to her father. All it took was one glance at his worried face, and she was rushing into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Bella, honey, what's wrong?" Charlie asked, trying to push his growing concern and slight surprise away at the way she burrowed into his chest. They weren't usually physically expressive in their relationship, at all. "Is this about… _Edward_?" he winced, gently caressing her hair.

Charlie wasn't particularly fond of the bronze-haired twit. Even though he never really got to know the boy, he thought that he was far too pompous and arrogant to be any good for his daughter. However, he expected better from Dr. Cullen. He was disappointed that a man of his caliber let things go this way, and that he and his whole family also had a part in destroying his daughter. He would never forgive them for that.

Bella burrowed further into his arms at his question, desperately holding onto her father. "No," she whispered. "I'm a terrible daughter, dad," she sniffled. "Until today, I didn't even think about how all of this was affecting you," she trembled. "How can you even stand being near me?"

Charlie's eyebrows disappeared in his hairline. "What the hell are you talking about?" he almost shouted, because there was no way that he would ever think Bella was a bad daughter.

Ever since she was a wee little girl, Bella had always taken care of her absent-minded mother, Renée. She had more responsibility that a kid her age should have, and she also took care of him. She cooked and cleaned, and she made sure that Charlie could relax after a tiring day at the police station. Sure, they didn't talk much, and they certainly didn't go on father-daughter trips, but that just simply wasn't their style. Their affection was a lot more subtle than that. They looked after each other and it showed in the small everyday things.

"I…" Bella swallowed, and took a deep breath. It was time to be somewhat honest with her dad. "I was considering running away with Edward, not even thinking about how that would affect you. I was so involved in my feelings for him that I didn't even realize that I was becoming consumed by him and his family, and suddenly nothing else seemed to matter. I distanced myself from my friends, even the ones back in Phoenix. I stopped calling mom. I stopped caring about school, and I didn't even think about what I would do after graduation."

Charlie's hold around Bella tightened when she talked about leaving him behind. That was an unthinkable thought for him. He only just got her back in his life, he was nowhere near ready to even consider letting her go. That was not happening, not if he had anything to say about it. And especially not because some teenage prick charmed her so thoroughly that she was blinded to everything else life would offer her.

"Bells…" he whispered.

"I'm sorry daddy," Bella cried. "I'm so very sorry. I don't know how things got so out of hand. I didn't become so unthinking on purpose, I hope you believe that," she whispered, clutching to Charlie for comfort, a little fearful of his reaction. She didn't want to upset her father any more than she already had.

Charlie took a deep breath and gently lifted Bella's chin to look into his daughter's eyes. He was about to reassure her when his eyes snapped to the darkening bruise on her cheek. "Who the fuck did that to you, Bells?" he asked in a deadly voice, already planning some retribution for the fucker who dared put a hand on his daughter. He was a police officer, he had seen a thing or two in his time, and he knew that his baby had suffered at the hand of some asshole.

Bella's eyes widened, and she panicked. She didn't want to get Paul in trouble, because she actually thought that he did her a favour, even if she could have done without the slap, she understood. "It's nothing to worry about daddy," she said looking down. "I deserved it…"

Charlie's eyes narrowed, and he gently forced Bella to look at him. "I need you to listen to me Bella. Can you do that?" he asked, and received a nod. "Good. You have to understand that it's not okay when a male harms a female in any way, shape, or form. I can tell that you were hurt by a boy, or a man, because the force of the slap had to be substantial for it to bruise like this. This is no small thing, Bells," he shook his head, gently caressing Bella's cheek. "Who did this to you?" he repeated the question.

Bella shook her head. "I can't tell you, dad. They didn't mean any harm, I promise."

"I have to know, Bells. Even if I wasn't your father I would want to know, because this person is volatile and they need help to deal with their issues," he explained. "Please, Bells, help me help him," he reasoned.

Bella hesitated. "Do you promise not to hurt him if I tell you? He might have been harsh in his method, but he opened my eyes to a few things. I may not like what he had said, but it doesn't mean that it wasn't all true… He's very observant."

Charlie took a deep breath. He had no desire to promise Bella not to hurt the prick, but he had to admit that this was the first time in months that Bella had an actual conversation with him. "I promise, but I reserve the right to threaten the shit out of the asshole!"

Bella let out a tearful chuckle. "Alright, dad. It was Paul Lahote."

Charlie growled. "That little shit! I'll kill him!" he shouted angrily, jumping up to grab his shotgun.

Bella's eyes widened in alarm, and she grabbed her father's arm. "Daddy! No!" she yelled. "You can't hurt Paul! Firstly, you promised not to, and secondly, he just wanted me to realize that I wasn't the only one dealing with heartache or abandonment issues. He wanted me to stop hurting you, Uncle Billy and Jake. That's it! He might hate me, but that's no reason for you to kill the boy. Yes, he slapped me, but it woke me up!" she took a deep breath. "He cares about you and the Blacks so much that it was probably the driving force behind his outburst. It's alright... I forgave him the moment he slapped me."

Charlie's eyes misted over, and he pulled her trembling daughter back into his arms. It was incredible that his Bella was protecting the boy who assaulted her, because she saw the good intent behind his actions. He sighed heavily. He was fucking angry at Paul Lahote, but he wouldn't kill him. _For now, at least._ But that didn't mean that he wouldn't threaten the shit out of him and make him suffer for putting a hand on his daughter. _He will learn to regret that..._

"Alright," he gruffly said. "He will suffer, nonetheless," he promised with a dangerous gleam in his eyes.

Bella took a calming breath and laid her head on Charlie's shoulder. "Can you forgive me?" she asked in a whisper.

"There is nothing to forgive, honey," Charlie murmured. "First loves can make a person act foolishly," he sighed. "I'm sorry that Edward hurt you so deeply, Bells, but I'm very thankful you are still in my life. I just got you back, I'm not ready to let you go just yet."

Bella's eyes filled with tears. "I love you, dad," she exclaimed sincerely. She was filled with such gratefulness for Charlie's easy acceptance of her foolishness, even though she knew that she didn't deserve it.

Charlie's ears reddened at her heartfelt words, and he nodded. "Me too, honey," he looked away, glancing at her duffle bag. "Now what is this about?" he asked, partly to change the subject, partly out of curiosity.

Bella followed his gaze and hesitated. "I want to move back to our house," she confessed. "I appreciate that you moved us here and thought it would do good, but honestly, I'm really uncomfortable here," she said truthfully. "Can we go home?" she looked down, wondering if she wasn't selfish to want that. "We don't have to if you like it here," she hastily added.

Charlie smiled. He was glad that Bella wanted to go home. As much as he liked his friendship with Billy, this hut was so small he could barely breathe in here, and there was definitely something secretive and weird going on around here that the Blacks and the Clearwaters were hiding from him. He knew that if he stayed any longer, the strain on his bond with his friends would slowly grow into a gaping chasm, and he wasn't sure that could ever be fixed.

"Let's go home, Bells," he agreed easily, and went to pack.

In another hour's time, the Swans thanked the Blacks for their hospitality and drove home.

* * *

**A/N:** I liked writing this chapter. Bella needed to be a little more honest with Charlie. Did you like Charlie's portrayal? I enjoy the protective father angle, especially because I never had that in my life, and to me Charlie feels like the quiet type of father with the subtle but fierce affection. I like that, and I think Bella needs that. What do you think about their stance on Paul? What should Charlie do? Rough him up and get him help? Get him help? Thank him? (Well let's face it, he won't simply thank him... but. :p)

Thank you for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

"Home, sweet home," Charlie mumbled with a sigh, as he turned his key in the lock. He was feeling quite relieved to step inside his house, but when he took a deep breath, he halted.

Bella was walking behind him, but as soon as she entered their home, she froze. "Oh my gosh, it stinks in here!" she gasped with a grimace, and stepping around her father, she gently pushed him outside. "I'll take care of this, dad, you just wait here where there's actual fresh air," she instructed, and turned around to open all the windows, and the door to the backyard.

"Thanks, honey," Charlie replied. He walked back to his police cruiser, and sat inside with a small smile on his face. He liked seeing his daughter actively doing something, even if it was as trivial as airing the house out. He really hoped that things would actually improve now.

"Done," Bella said, taking a sharp breath when she stumbled outside. "Once we can actually breathe in there, I'll clean the house, because there are dust particles everywhere. We also need to go grocery shopping," she sighed, leaning against the car, trying to keep herself steady, hiding how dizzy she was feeling.

"Well, that makes sense. We were away for a while," Charlie nodded, completely oblivious. "If you make a list, I'll pick up everything."

"What would you like to eat for dinner?" Bella asked.

"You know I'll enjoy anything you cook, Bells," Charlie grinned. If there was one thing that his daughter knew how to do very well, it was cooking. Her skill developed from all the years of taking care of her mother and doing the chores. Some part of him felt very sad that Bella was deprived of a normal childhood, but he was also immensely proud of her for the skills she had acquired over the years.

Bella smiled softly. "I'll just make your favourite," she promised, and walked back inside to grab a notepad and a pen to jot down everything the meal needed. She also included quite a few things that were missing from their pantry and ice box. When she was done, she tore the paper from the pad, folded it in half, and gave it to Charlie.

"I'll get going then," Charlie said. "I'll be back in a few hours." He was going to have to drive to Port Angeles to get everything Bella needed. Forks was a small place, their shops only stocking the bare necessities, and they needed a little bit more than that.

"Take care on the road, dad," Bella said, and watched her father drive away. Once he was out of sight, she walked to the porch and sat down on a beaten down chair.

Now that she was alone, her feeling of guilt came back with a vengeance. She couldn't believe how easily her father accepted her foolish decisions and showed her support. She couldn't forgive herself, even if Charlie said that there was nothing to forgive. Now that Paul Lahote had opened her eyes, she couldn't unsee her selfishness and the damage she was causing to those around her. She leaned over her knees trying to breathe in slowly and exhale even slower, she really didn't fancy another panic attack.

Once Bella had calmed down, she stood up and walked back inside to start on cleaning the house. She dusted, vacuumed, and mopped the floors. Then she walked into Charlie's room and changed his bedding to a fresh set, loading the used linens into a laundry basket, and repeated the same routine in her own room.

When Charlie returned from shopping, a couple of hours later, Bella was already hanging up the washing to dry. He walked inside the house, his eyes wide from surprise. The house smelled amazing, and everything looked squeaky clean.

"I'm home," he alerted his daughter to his presence, putting the paper bags atop the kitchen counter.

"Welcome home, daddy," Bella softly said and gave him a hug. She promised herself that she would be much more affectionate with her father, and if she was honest with herself, she needed the comfort.

Charlie revelled in the contact. He also needed to reaffirm that Bella was, in fact, still with him. When they talked, he was terrified when she shared that she was planning to run away with the bronze-haired peacock. Over his dead body would that ever be allowed to happen. He held his daughter for a few moments more before letting her go.

"The house looks immaculate," he complimented.

Bella smiled. "I'm glad. Were you able to buy everything?"

"Almost everything," Charlie replied. "They were fresh out of salmon, but I've bought some chicken instead. I'm planning to go on a fishing trip soon enough and I'll catch you a nice salmon then."

Bella looked thoughtful. "Can I go with you on your trip, daddy? We never do anything together, and I'd like to change that," she suggested. If there was one thing Bella was adamant about now, it was spending as much time with her father as she could. She wanted to work on their relationship, and she also wanted to make up for neglecting him.

Charlie's eyes widened. He never thought that Bella would ever want to accompany him when he went fishing. He chuckled. "Sure, honey. Won't you get bored, though? You're not really one to enjoy outdoor activities like fishing or hunting."

Bella blushed. "I just want to spend some time with you. I'll probably bring a book and just hang out, if that's okay?"

"Of course, Bells, I just don't want you to regret coming with," he gruffly said. "I would welcome the company."

"Good," Bella smiled. "I've cleaned everything except for the attic, I've yet to go up there and take care of things. I'll do that after I cook dinner though, if that's okay?"

"You do know that you don't have to do everything in one day, right, Bells?" Charlie asked, raising an eyebrow at how much work Bella wanted to do in a day.

"It keeps me busy," she mumbled, looking down. Now that she was more aware of things, keeping herself on task was a reprieve from thinking about everything that happened.

"Alright, then," Charlie nodded, and walked into the living-room to watch some television while Bella cooked.

Bella prepared some steamed chicken with a side of corn and rice, and served it with some chilled red wine for her father, and sparkling water for herself. They ate in companionable silence. She washed the dishes after they ate, bid goodnight to Charlie, and made her ways towards the attic.

It wasn't in Bella's normal house chore routine to clean the attic, she just wanted something to occupy her time and mind with. She never really been up there before, thus she was curious what she would find.

"Let's do this," she mumbled to herself and rolled her sleeves up, pushing down the handle of the door. She grimaced at the loud noise it made. "Geez," she breathed in, and ended up coughing from all the dust. She felt around for the light switch, and once she had found it, the attic was bathed in dim yellow light. Bella had to admit that it looked quite cozy in there.

Bella's eyes trailed the room, taking in everything with a sense of wonder. Ever since she was a little girl, Bella was always enchanted by old objects, everything that held history. There was a small smile on her face as she walked up to an ornate mahogany chest, and kneeled in front of it, carefully opening the lid.

Her eyes widened slightly at the look of the contents. The trunk was filled with an abundance of vintage journals, sketchbooks, and art supplies. She reached inside to take a closer look at a certain journal that caught her attention. It was covered in red leather, clearly well used.

When Bella held the book in her hands, there was a warm glow of light that engulfed her, then she fainted…

* * *

**A/N:** Oh, my. Whatever could have happened? I wonder... ;)

Thank you for reading!


End file.
